
Today I’m posting on the Blog Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia, where us authors and reviewers from GLBT book community are coming together to educate on hate and offer prizes. It’s all in honor of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia on May 17th.
Dictionary.com defines ignorance as:
the state or fact of being ignorant; lack of knowledge, learning, information, etc.
This is how I think of homophobia and transphobia. Both come about when people who don’t know the facts make judgements about our personal lives based on their assumptions and gut feelings.
It’s not a hard thing to learn about, and we all have something to learn. Perhaps you know a lot about gay men, but nothing about the trans* community. Perhaps you’re gay, but know little to nothing about what it means to be bisexual. Whether LGBT or a straight ally, we’re all capable of ignorance if we close our eyes.
I have to admit that when I came to the LGBT writing community, I knew little about the experience of being trans*. Thanks to reading the blog entries of some brave people who put themselves out there, I’ve learned a lot more about the challenges and trials that trans* people face. Opening my mind to new possibilities only helped me expand my understanding of the infinite combinations that love can take.
It’s never too late to learn about someone else’s lifestyle. When you do, perhaps you’ll realize you might have said something in the past that was rude/hurtful and you didn’t even know it. By taking the time to read a few webpages, you can remove that ignorance and perhaps make a positive comment that will make someone feel loved and respected as a human being. At the end of the day, on our most basic level, we all have that in common.
Here are some great links for learning about the LGBT community:
Embrace The Rainbow: Great site for learning about trans*, genderqueer and those questioning their identity. Make sure to check out their “Learning More” page, where some great blog posts explain the fundamentals of the trans* experience.
PFLAG has some friendly education pages including Straight For Equality, a program where straight allies can show their support for the GLBT community.
Myth and Reality: Some Facts about the LGBT Community A FAQ page that debunks some common myths about homosexuality.
BiNet USA To learn more about the bisexual community.
Now, for prizes! I’m giving away a digital copy of Written In The Stars, a space opera m/m romance set during a time of extreme ignorance and war. All you have to do to win is make a comment on this post that includes your e-mail address. The deadline for entries is 8 p.m. (EST) on May 27th. The winner will be chosen randomly and the results posted by May 30th.








